


what happens when the world tilts

by MegannRosemary



Category: For the People (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, littlebell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 15:38:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18607471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegannRosemary/pseuds/MegannRosemary
Summary: Maybe it was just the sun and the four and a half cocktails. Post 2x04 and through 2x05. A Littlebell one-shot.





	what happens when the world tilts

 Sandra never could sleep when she was drunk or hungover, and after only six hours of sleep, she supposed she was a little of both.

 

She got to the office several hours before Jill, which meant no case to bury her thoughts.

 

She had nothing to do but wonder what the hell had happened or almost happened or almost didn’t happen.

 

What had happened was a few hours at the pool had turned to cocktails at the hotel bar and then an almost kiss that had ended in Kate digging around in her bag and offering her a package of sticky notes before scurrying from the bar.

 

At least she thought it was an almost kiss.

 

Maybe it was just the sun and the four and a half cocktails she’d consumed on a near empty stomach.

 

Maybe it was Kate’s laugh that started around cocktail two, low and deep and completely uninhibited.

 

Maybe it was the way Kate’s cheeks flushed around cocktail three, her blue eyes shining with laughter, or alcohol, or both.

 

Maybe it was the way Kate put her hand on Sandra’s arm as they talked, somewhere around cocktail number four.

 

Halfway through cocktail number five, Kate stood with a look so determined, yet so tender, that Sandra’s heart skipped a beat.  Then Kate swayed forward, her gaze on Sandra’s lips, and Sandra was positive she was about to be kissed.

 

Sandra closed her eyes and waited for Kate’s lips to touch her own.

 

Too many seconds later Sandra was still waiting and she opened her eyes to see Kate fumbling with her purse, her movements frantic and jerky as she rummaged through it.

 

“Kate?”

 

Kate straightened and shoved sticky notes into Sandra’s hand.

 

“What’s this for?”

 

“I don’t know…just…” Kate had lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “Thank you for today. It was nice working with you.” Then she mumbled _I’m sorry_ and ran out of the room.

 

She was gone.

 

Sandra was too stunned to do anything but finish cocktail number five and stumble to her own taxi to take her home, the sticky notes clutched in her hand as she wondered what it all meant.

 

Now trying to clean her office, those damn sticky notes, in their cheerful colours made her head pound and her vision blur, only served to remind her of the night before and the fact that she still didn’t have an answer to a question she didn’t quite know how to ask.

 

Kate was the first thing on her mind after she talked to Emma.  She tried to tell herself it was because Kate was the best. Not because she’d been wondering how soft Kate’s lips would have been and what it would have been like to have her soft curves press against her own.

 

When people filed out of the courtroom, the world faded away. Kate stood at the front of the room, in perfect clarity, and like Sandra’s limbs had a mind of their own, they propelled her across the room and she pulled Kate into her arms.

 

“Congratulations,” Sandra whispered into her ear, breathing in Kate’s perfume that smelled like roses and sea breeze and something that was distinctly Kate. Sandra sank into the soft embrace, wishing she could stay there forever. Kate Littlejohn was soft even when she tried to be hard and impenetrable. Her armour had a Sandra shaped crack in it.

 

All the questions from the past few days ignited and were consumed by the fire that coursed through Sandra’s veins.

 

 Perhaps the only question that made sense right now was. “Will I see you tonight?”

 

“Yes.” Kate answered, and it was all the answer Sandra needed for now.

 

* * *

 

 The low ache of desire had been with Kate all week, after she’d backed out of the kiss they had both clearly wanted.

 

She should have kept her distance. She should have forgotten anything had happened.

 

That was rational and logical and intelligent. There was no future for them, no future kisses on the horizon to be had. There couldn’t be.

 

Backing out of the kiss was the smartest thing Kate could have done.

 

But when she’d said no to the case, she’d just wanted an excuse for Sandra to come back to her office, bugging her to take the case, her green eyes flashing with passion she’d only seen in courtroom. A passion she suddenly found herself wondering what it would look like with significantly less clothes on.

 

Then Kate had only said yes so that she could keep seeing her.

 

The fire built to a slow sizzle when Sandra hugged her after the case, and the whisper in her ear made goosebumps rise on her arms.

 

Now, as Sandra danced with Alison, her hips swaying as she pushed back her hair, cheeks flushed and eyes shining, she’d never seen anyone so sexy. Kate’s mouth went dry and she had to look away for fear the look in her eyes would give her away.

 

When she looked back a few moments later, she saw Ted had inserted himself between the two women and Sandra spoke, gesturing wildly. Then Ted put his hand on Sandra’s shoulder and Kate gripped the plastic cup in her hands so hard that the flimsy material cracked.

 

Kate was deliberate and cautious, she was precise and disciplined.

 

Kate was not jealous. She was not emotional. She was not.

 

And yet something burned hotter beneath her skin with every passing minute, not heat of excitement and desire, but an ugly burning heat that made her skin crawl.

 

Somehow she was walking across a crowded room and stepping in front of Ted.

 

“Why are you talking to him?”

 

Sandra’s eyes widened. “We’re talking about baseball.”

 

Kate turned to Ted. “You can go now.”

 

“But…”

 

“Shoo.” She waved him off. “You’re not needed.”

 

“Kate, that wasn’t very nice.”

 

“I’m not a nice person.”

 

“I know that’s not true.” Sandra swayed closer and Kate could smell the fruity vodka on her breath and the warm vanilla of her perfume. “You’re nice to me.”

 

“That’s because…”

 

“Why Kate?” Sandra looked up at her through damned long lashes with deep green eyes, and what was left of rational went out the window.

 

Kate tugged on her hand, pulling her down the hall into the bathroom, and flicking the lock behind them.

 

She pressed Sandra back against the door and Sandra’s breath hitched.

 

“Why Kate?” She asked again, her voice breathy and low, that fanned the sparks of desire in Kate’s belly into an inferno.

 

Kate’s only answer was to cover Sandra’s lips with her own. They were soft and full, sweet and slightly bitter with alcohol. They were better than her fantasies could have ever imagined.

 

Sandra responded immediately, with a roll of her hips and a parting of her lips, and Kate took the kiss deeper. She fisted handfuls of Sandra’s loose curls, letting the silky strands slide through her fingers, before cupping the back of her neck to draw her deeper into the kiss. Their tongues slid against one another, as they tasted, and they took.

 

Sandra moaned with every nibble and gripped Kate’s hips. “God Kate, you’re amazing.”

 

“I know I am.” Kate nibbled on Sandra’s lower lip and kissed along her jaw. Sandra arched her neck, giving Kate full access to soft, sweet, skin.  “You’re incredible as well.”

 

“Really?” Sandra opened her eyes, and Kate saw the passion flickering and burning in their blue-green depths. This wasn’t like the passion from the courthouse. This was reserved just for Kate, just for this moment.

 

And Kate hoped, for many more moments like this one. “I don’t waste words or time on false compliments.”

Their lips met again.

 

When at last they left the bathroom the apartment looked the same, which was odd because hadn’t the world shifted on it’s axis? Hadn’t days gone by while they kissed? Music continued to play from the Bluetooth speaker on the counter, people stood crowded around food on the table and grouped around the couch.

 

No one noticed as they slipped back into the room and joined the group on the couch, Kate on the couch and Sandra on the floor.

 

Their eyes met across the table and Sandra gave her a soft smile, and the world shone a little bit brighter and nothing was the same.

**Author's Note:**

> This chemistry is killing me! Why was Sandra so flustered at the beginning? And how does she have Kate’s sticky notes? You can’t tell me nothing happened. Sure, the rest of the episode they could both be flustered with the case, but the beginning? The sticky notes? Ugh! Thanks for reading guys :)


End file.
